Khamenei’s nephew calls for “toppling the regime”

Mahmoud Moradkhani, the nephew of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, called for “the rapid fall of the regime,” and at the same time criticized the Iranian opposition parties as “ineffective.”

During a press interview in Paris, which was attended by Asharq Al-Awsat, Moradkhani strongly criticized Khamenei, saying that he is “devoid of religious and civil legitimacy and is incompetent in religious sciences.”

He did not hesitate to describe him as “the butcher of the Iranian people” and the “most hated” figure among the people, explaining that the regime “has no hope of reforming it from within, and therefore there is no alternative to working to overthrow it.” And he believed that Khamenei “cannot take a single step back,” and therefore, “his plan is to resort to permanent repression.”

In parallel with his criticism of the regime, Maradkhani described the Iranian opposition as “ineffective at home and on the ground.” And he believed that the problem lies in the absence of a vision regarding “the stage that could follow the fall of the regime in particular.” In this context, the “revolution” that Iran has known for four months, according to Maradkhani, “did not produce figures with a clear program and distinct personalities.”

Regarding the issue of Khamenei’s succession, Muradkhani believes that there is no successor to the current guide from outside the circle close to him and surrounding him. It is strongly likely that the successor to the guide will be his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who “enjoys the support of the Revolutionary Guard” and whom he considers the active and influencing force in choosing the successor.

The authorities had recently arrested his sister, activist Farida Maradkhani, because of her criticism of the regime. At the end of December, Badri Hosni Khamenei sent a letter declaring her innocence from her brother, whom she described as a “tyrannical caliphate.”
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